Seat structure for vehicles with occupant detector

• US 5,720,523 A
• Filed: 04/12/1996
• Issued: 02/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Kawabata, Hideki, Nawa, Hiroshi, Suzuki, Yasuaki, Terada, Takami, Fujie, Naofumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cranmer, Laurie K.
• Application Number:
  US08/631,015
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 297/338, 297/217.3, 297/337, 180/273, 180/272, 340/425.5, 340/426, 340/430, 340/667, 200/85 A, 200/85 R
• US Class Current: 297/338
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02 the seat or part thereof being movable, e.g. adjustable adjustable arm-rests B60N2/75; adjustable head-rests B60N2/806
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/141 Cushion or mat switches

Abstract

A seat structure is provided which can more reliably detect seating by a smaller stroke of a seat cushion. Movable members 8, 51 and 231 operating in response to up and down movement of a seat cushion 1 and a switching means 4 able to abut against the movable members 8, 51 and 231 are provided, performing occupant detection based on the on/off operation of the switching means 4 by means of the movement operation of the movable members 8, 51 and 231 accompanying a fall of the seat cushion 1.

Claims

1. A seat structure for vehicles comprising

a movable member adapted to be secured on an axially slidable member which is comprised of a rail member of a vehicle and operated in response to vertical movement of a seat cushion;

link means rotatably supported on the axially slidable member and rotated in response to movement of the movable member;

at least one urging member for urging the link means and the movable member in one direction and urging the seat cushion in a rising direction through the movable member; and

switching means secured to the link means and adapted to abut against a part of the link means, the switching means being on/off operated by operation of the movable member against an urging force of the urging member accompanying a fall of the seat cushion when the seat is occupied to thereby perform occupant detection.

2. The seat structure of claim 1, wherein the movable member includes a bell crank link rotatably supported at the rail member and connected to the seat cushion.

3. The seat structure of claim 1, wherein the link means includes a bracket which rotatably supports the movable member and to which the switching means is fixed, and a regulating portion which is formed on the bracket and abuts on the link means due to rotating movement of the movable member accompanying a fall of the seat cushion.

4. The seat structure of claim 3, wherein the switching means is a limit switch having a movable contact, and the link means abuts on the movable contact due to the rotating movement of the movable member accompanying a fall of the seat cushion.

5. A seat structure for vehicle comprising

a movable member, disposed between a seat cushion and a rail member of a vehicle, for operating in response to vertical movement of the seat cushion;

at least one urging member for urging the movable member in one direction and for urging the seat cushion in a rising direction; and

switching means able to abut against the movable member by way of operation of the movable member, the switching means being on/off operated by operation of the movable member against an urging force of the urging member accompanying a fall of the seat cushion when the seat is occupied to thereby perform occupant detection the movable member being a swinging link rotatably supported on the rail member of the vehicle, and having an operating member which connects the swinging link to both sides of a front portion and both sides of a rear portion of the seat cushion and rotates the swinging link.

6. A seat structure for vehicles comprising

a movable member, disposed between a seat cushion and a rail member of a vehicle, for operating in response to vertical movement of the seat cushion;

at least one urging member for urging the movable member in one direction and for urging the seat cushion in a rising direction; and

switching means able to abut against the movable member by way of operation of the movable member, the switching means being on/off operated by operation of the movable member against an urging force of the urging member accompanying a fall of the seat cushion when the seat is occupied to thereby perform occupant detection, the movable member being a first link disposed between the seat cushion and the vehicles'"'"'s rail member and rotatably supported on a driving link member of a vertical mechanism for moving the seat cushion in an up and down direction with respect to the vehicle floor.

7. The seat structure of claim 6, wherein the vertical mechanism is formed having a rotating shaft rotatably supported at the rail member and connected to the seat cushion and in which the first link is fixed so as to integrally rotate, the driving link member being supported so as to be rotatable relative to the first link and the rotating shaft, and the vertical mechanism further comprising a second link connected to a driving link member, the urging member disposed between the first link and the second link, and an abutting member provided between the first link and the second link for transmitting the rotation of the first link to the second link.

8. The seating detection device of claim 7, further comprising a pair of connecting link members connecting the rotating shaft to both sides of the rear portion of the seat cushion.

9. A seat structure for vehicles comprising

a movable member adapted to be held with respect to an axially slidable member which is composed of a rail member of the vehicle and operated in response to a vertical movement of the seat cushion;

a link member rotatably supported on the axially slidable member and rotated in response to the movement of the movable member;

at least one urging member for urging the link member and the movable member in one direction and for urging a seat cushion in a rising direction through the movable member; and

switching means secured to the slidable member and able to abut against a part of the link member, the switching means being on/off operated by operation of the movable member against an urging force of the urging member accompanying a fall of the seat cushion when the seat is occupied to thereby perform occupant detection.

10. The seat structure of claim 9, wherein the link member is rotatably supported by way of a pin, the at least one urging member being arranged around the pin.

11. The seat structure of claim 9, wherein the link member includes an arm which constitutes said part of the link member against which abuts the switching means.